Fortune 100 Global Biopharma Company | Gagen MacDonald

Our Impact

Fortune 100 Global Biopharma Company

Transforming business through change communications.

In the face of intense competition, with the unprecedented speed of science and a significant need to capitalize on unmet opportunities, a leading global biopharmaceutical company successfully accomplished something it had never done before: transforming all aspects of its business simultaneously.

To achieve the company's ambitious goals, leaders and employees had to understand the company's strategy and the reasons for its transformation, as well as how focusing resources, simplifying work and integrating efforts would improve competitiveness and enable the company to get medications to patients faster.

Challenge

Throughout the extended period of transformation, the company maintained focus on delivering life-saving medicines more quickly and efficiently to patients who simply couldn't wait. That required retaining employees while transforming their business and culture.

Approach

Gagen MacDonald led the change management and communication efforts, applying its unique approach focused on the human struggle of change and building employee belief around why transformation is good for the company and good for them professionally.

  • Facilitated the organizational alignment of transformation efforts across functions, levels and a broad geographic footprint and support the restructuring of the operating model
  • Developed a comprehensive change management and communications plan through an engaged partnership with all C-suite and transformation management office leaders
  • Equipped leaders and employees to drive integrated culture change by aligning their vision, values and desired cultural behaviors while highlighting successful new ways of working
  • Emphasized change leadership by equipping leaders to authentically communicate the company’s story

Results

  • Over two years, the transformation communications team contributed significantly to enterprise-wide transformation and early business results, including:
    • Significant cost reductions
    • Increased investment in R&D
    • Simplified work and processes
    • Faster decision-making and reduced development times
  • At the 18-month mark, a pulse survey showed that:
    • 94 percent of employees understood the transformation
    • 96 percent of employees reported being willing to embrace new ways of working if it would help company the compete
  • There was minimal disruption to the business at divested sites with 100 percent employee retention for acquiring companies
  • There were 205 announcements distributed; receiving more than 71,700 cumulative views
  • Visuals improved employee understanding of complex changes; employee views of these visuals set intranet records
  • More than 30 published success stories became the most highly viewed content on the intranet — with a high of 3,100 views on a single story
  • Leader engagement was achieved when:
    • 100 percent of the C-suite conducted 100+ listening sessions with the top 200 leaders in 12 months
    • Subsequently, the top 200 executives engaged with next level of leaders in 100+ sessions

Awards

2018 Business Transformation & Operational Excellence Awards (BTOES)

  • Best Achievement in Culture Transformation & Sustainability to Deliver a High-Performing Enterprise Excellence Culture
  • Best Achievement in Operational Excellence in Pharmaceuticals & Life Sciences
  • Best Achievement in an Operational Excellence Project